A pregnant woman has been mercilessly assaulted, beaten to a pulp and her eyes damaged by the landlord and his family over an argument.
Mrs. Dupe Balogun
A 22-year-old man, Tunde Sanusi, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly beating up his father’s tenant, a 37-year-old pregnant woman, Punch reports.
According to the report, Sanusi was said to have pummelled the victim, Mrs. Dupe Balogun, and damaged one of her eyes for allegedly failing to vacate the house after she had been served a notice to quit. The incident happened on Sunday, March 27 at the building located on Andrew Street, Lagos Island.
It was gathered that on the day of the attack, the Balogun, a trader was returning from the hospital around 4pm when an argument ensued between him and Sanusi. She had been warned by the landlord to pack out of the building. The landlord had already threatened to deal with her for refusing to adhere to the quit notice and promised to kill her.
That fateful day, the landlord made good his threat as he alongside Sanusi and daughter descended on the helpless pregnant lady.
The incident was reported at the Adeniji Adele Police Divison and Sanusi was arrested. Balogun, who is four months pregnant, told the police that the injury would have been much but for the intervention of the neighbours.
She said, “The landlord gave us a notice to quit and always came to our apartment to bang the door, threatening to kill my son and me. As I came back from the hospital around 4pm on Sunday and sat in front of my shop, Tunde (Sanusi), the landlord’s son, approached and challenged me, saying I refused to quit the house after receiving the notice. I told him to let my husband return.
“All of a sudden, he started abusing me. Before I knew what was happening, he gave me a fist blow in the eye. The landlord and another child of his joined Tunde to beat me up. It was my neigbours that rescued me.”
Sanusi, however, denied beating the tenant, saying the woman fell while she was struggling with him. He also refuted the claim that his father and sister joined him to assault the woman.
The suspect said he met Balogun on his way to the bathroom on that day and she started abusing him.
He said, “I also abused her. She attempted to hold my shirt and I pushed her. Maybe as a result of that she hit her eye on a grinding machine on the premises. I did not touch her; my daddy told me to leave her and he did not touch her either.
“I only told her that her rent was due and that she should pack out from our house. She replied that I should do it myself. She held me and I pushed her. My sister did not beat her.”
He has been charged before a Tinubu Magistrate Court by police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale on one count of assault occasioning harm.
The charge read, “That you, Tunde Sanusi, and one other at large, at Andrew by Rica Street, Lagos Island, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Dupe Balogun by giving her a blow in her left eye and gave her bodily harm, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The accused pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial.
He was granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum, while the case was adjourned till May 11, 2016.
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